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From Christian Bale to…Who!?
“You read for a part, you feel good about it, you feel confident, then they cast Ben Affleck.”
–Richard Dreyfuss
“Really looking forward to seeing Affleck bring the depth and gravitas to Batman that he brought to Daredevil and Gigli.”
–Wil Wheaton
These were just two of the many instantaneous twitter responses to the news late last night that Ben Affleck has been cast to portray Batman in the “Man of Steel” sequel.
(insert the sound of air being let out of a tire)
The task of finding a suitable replacement in the post-Christian Bale era was going to be difficult and nearly impossible. But still, this decision is shockingly bad. There had to be a handful of other actors (it’s difficult to name names because the role should probably go to more of an unknown, like Henry Cavill) who could have at least filled the role enough to be believable on-screen and received the polite golf clap with a nod complemented with a, “not bad…” audible response.
Now, it’s just bad.
On one side, you have Henry Cavill who had the similarly impossible task of trying to be the, “man of steel” post-Christopher Reeve (Superman is always in the post-Reeve era by the way) and he did an amazing job. He escaped into the world of a new kind of Superman with a new kind of story and did a fantastic job.
He made everyone believe he was the, “man of steel.” Cavill embodied everything you’d want from a modern day Kal-El, Clark Kent and Superman (“that’s what they’re calling him”). Hopefully, there will be more jokes and flirting from Clark Kent to Lois Lane à la Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder in the sequel…
Cavill was quietly super with moments of familiar charm.
Conversely, Ben Affleck is not dark, edgy or conflicted. These are somewhat important characteristics for Bruce Wayne/Batman. When you watch Affleck on-screen on most occasions, you can see he’s acting and not escaping into the role. It’s going to be difficult to watch him convincingly embrace the persona of a willing billionaire playboy who has a dangerous night job fueled by raw and convoluted emotions.
Here’s a clip that shows the future Batman in action while in a suit.
Unfortunately, we all know this is just the tip of the iceberg for Affleck.
Movies involving superheroes are not simply about star power, but they hinge on character power as portrayed by great actors.
It’s a small, prestigious club. Many have tried, but only a few actors have truly “fit” their roles to give lasting, iconic performances.
Only time will tell, but when the bat signal lights up in a couple years, it may look a little different…it just may project “S.O.S.”
Defining Bruce
Because of the nature of life, each of us faces an infinite number of choices and makes a finite number of decisions in our lifetimes. Just as it’s fascinating to study history on a decade-by-decade basis, the same goes for ourselves when reflecting on the person we are at various ages. For some of us, there is dramatic change and, for others, not so much. Our lives are impacted by controlled settings, while also being influenced by variable happenstance.
Relative to our own lives, with every passing minute, we make cognizant and subconscious choices about the person we want our peers to see, both familiar and unfamiliar. Do we appear to be nice? Are we seen as attractive? Do I look intelligent? Are we the same great kid we used to be? These are just a few sample questions we may ask ourselves before venturing out into the public. For most of the people we encounter, they have never met us and, therefore, don’t know who we really are. The window of opportunity is small, but the right impression can make a lasting impression. Some of us put more thought and consideration into whether or not our aura is appropriately glowing (thank you Topanga!).
Understanding what we want on a random Friday night, or in life, can be easy. Or, it can be difficult and spark deep, introspective reflections. The answers can be clear one moment and cloudy the next.
Coming to the right conclusions requires a continuous education of ourselves and of the world that surrounds us, both in relative peace and chaos.
Expect the unexpected and remember the key is being able to recognize when it’s time to swim and when it’s time to act, whatever that means.
(Please turn the volume up)
The Epic Renaissance of the “Man of Steel”
“One day, you’re gonna have to make a choice. You have decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be. … Whoever that man is, good character or bad, is gonna change the world.”
–Mr. Kent
“You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They’ll race behind you, they will stumble. They will fall. … But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.”
–Jor-El
manofsteel.warnerbros.com
It’s a bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Super-I mean, It’s the Man of Steel!
The day has arrived when the superhero of all superheroes will again appear as a heroic savior from the skies. As the description the late Jay Morton coined reads, he’s, “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.” The, “man of steel” will attempt to protect the people of Earth from General Zod and his army while wearing a modernized (by Kryptonian standards) blue suit with a red cape, donning the most famously symbolic “S” ever known.
How will fans react to Henry Cavill’s adaptation? Was he up to this enormous challenge?
Music is a vitally important partner to any television show or movie featuring Superman. The opening few seconds of John Williams’ score for the 1978 motion picture is definitively beautiful as it sets the stage for a grand journey. Hans Zimmer, a composing mastermind and movie soundtrack maestro, put his orchestral talents to work to create the right sound that had to be, quite literally, super!
In the short video below, Zimmer describes a new listening technology he helped develop when he composed the, “Man of Steel” soundtrack.
Innovative- Brilliant-Wow!
Did Zimmer write a new, modern anthem or score that will overtake the iconic, “Superman” soundtrack by John Williams? No, because that task is essentially impossible. However, as the music from the multiple trailers and his past movie scores have indicated, the new soundtrack will undoubtedly be epic. That’s an investment you can take to the bank.
Will, “Man of Steel” be as epic as the soundtrack? Will Kal-El fly off the screen without the assistance of 3D glasses?
June 14, 2013: The time has come to buy the tickets and watch the greatest superhero of all-time grow up in confusing wonderment on a strange planet, somehow meet Lois Lane and then battle the powerfully evil General Zod and his destructive army.
As Jimmy’s Daily Planet’s current headline indicates, the expectations for this Super-I mean, “Man of Steel,” are epic.
Will we join him in the sun…?
Reintroducing a Classic
Through all of the variations of Superman, whether in cinema, television or comic books, Christopher Reeve established himself as the standard bearer 35 years ago. The richness Reeve brought to life in Clark Kent/Superman, and his superb supporting cast, has defined this movie from the ’70s as a classic well into the digitally-driven 21st century. We the audience did not simply watch in awe as a powerful man flew through the air and battled bad guys, but instead got caught up in a heroic story and a love story involving another world and people and a particularly feisty Daily Planet reporter. Terrific elements of realness and fantasy intertwined, which potently lifted Superman off the 2D screen into our hearts and imaginations.
Will 2013s, “Man of Steel” have the same impact as 1978s, “Superman”?
Richard Donner cared about Clark Kent/Superman, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Mr. White, General Zod, Lex Luthor and so forth. His dedication to showing us a story about Superman instead of telling us was just one of the many “it” factors that has cemented, “Superman” as the best movie thus far about the man with the “S” on his chest.
We cared because he cared.
The story for “Man of Steel” was written and concocted by David Goyer and Christopher Nolan (both of “The Dark Knight” trilogy). Below is an interview with Mr. Goyer.
The paramount question: Did Goyer and Nolan write a screenplay and create a story that Superman fans from multiple generations will care about in 2013?
Jimmy's Daily Planet 